Demystifying Labels Terms: Gluten Free

At Bob's Red Mill we use this symbol to indicate a product's gluten free status.

Part three of our Demystifying Label Terms Series will cover Gluten Free. Part four will cover Kosher.

Gluten Free: Another term not regulated by a governing agency and one that is appearing on more and more labels. When a product states “gluten free” it can mean any number of things specific to that product: it may be tested to ensure the absence of gluten (such as all Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free products); it may simply not contain any gluten-containing grains (wheat, rye or barley); it may be inherently free of gluten, but not tested (such as milk). It does not mean that the product is safely gluten free, however.

At Bob’s Red Mill, it strictly means that the product has been produced in a gluten-free facility, procured in a manner that minimizes the chance of cross-contact with gluten and tested to be under 20 [gluten] parts per million in our gluten free laboratory. Until the government releases a regulation (due any time now) regarding the use of “gluten free”, it behooves the consumer to investigate the company and what they mean when they use the term “gluten free”.

At Bob’s Red Mill, we use the above symbol to indicate whether the product is gluten free. Even if this symbol does not appear front and center, it may appear in the bottom left corner of the package. If a product does not have this symbol, it is likely not gluten free. If you’re unsure, please contact our customer service team at 800-349-2173 for help or consult our handy gluten free product listing here. For more information about Bob’s Red Mill gluten free products, find gluten free resources and to watch a tour of our gluten free facility, click here.